50 50: Preparation

Two hours passed after Caleb and his team climbed the tree to wait. Jin was just staring at the bait he put expressionless. Athena, on the other hand, had her eyes closed. Then there was Caleb who looked as if he would doze off at any given moment.

They had been waiting patiently but to his dismay most of the animals that saw it took a detour. There were two or three that stared at the bait for a minute from a distance but finally chose to walk away.

It perplexed how Jin and Athena wait without doing anything but just state yet still show no signs of boredom! Because he was already bored!

When he asked Jin to at least switch on other spots where animals would more likely go. Jin just said that a true hunter has patience worth gold. So Caleb could only reluctantly.

Fortunately, this time, a rustle sounded below them. The bush just one meter away beside the opposite tree they were in moved. Then there, a two-meter green animal that he couldn't identify or see on Earth walked out of the bush. It walks on the ground with its four. Its skin was filled with dark green scales and it had a pair of orange pupils exuding bloodlust. On its back, there was a brownish shell that looked soft.

'What the fuck is that creature!?'

Caleb tapped Jin and the back causing the latter to look at him in question. Caleb leaned his head slightly and whispered. "Is that really an animal or Apokalips?"

"No... It's Shelterfator. It's too small to be considered Apokalips. Although small Apokalips also exist, they are rare. Most Apokalips, even those Tier 9 stood at a height of ten meters."

'I'll be damned!'

Caleb cursed in his heart. How high is damn ten meters!? They are enough to tower Acia trees that they were in now like damned toys!

How do you fight such creatures? What's worse, there's not only one... But thousands or even more. In this world, humans had already lost their place as the ones that stood at the top of the food chain. Apokalips are the apex predator! Of course with the involvement of Destinies, humans are gradually on the quest for taking their right place.

'This would be my first enemy?' Caleb took a deep breath and began to focus on the present moment.

"Good luck..."

Athena's voice sounded beside him which interrupted his thought process.

Caleb, Jin, and Athena watched as the Shelterfator which by the way a shitty name. The beast didn't walk right away but kept observing the surroundings. After a few more minutes, the beast began to inch closer and closer towards the bait whilst still looking left and right.

Jin patted Caleb on the shoulders and said.

"Once the beast ate the bait. It's your time to attack. Prepare yourself. Lesson number two, once the prey took the bait strike its weakness when it lowered its guard down."

With a nod in his head, Caleb quietly brandished his Odachi. It's his only chance! This would be the start of his rise. Right here! He had to prove that he wasn't a deadweight!

The opportune moment had come as the green monster lunged at the organs with hunger. It opened its mouth, revealing a set of sharp fangs each dripping with saliva. Seeing this, Jin said in a low voice.

"Now is your chance. Use it or lose it. Once you fail to capitalize on the opportunity. It will make the fight harder and you will spend more time and energy. The longer the battle goes on, the higher the risk of something wrong going."

Although Jin knew that he didn't need to say this much. He still wants to remind him.

Caleb didn't respond. His eyes squinted as he focused on the neck of the beast that was greedily devouring its meal. Taking a deep breath, he jumped down from the branch and somersaulted.

When he felt the air pushing his air upwards, he tightened the grip on his Odachi and aimed at the unsuspecting animal.

The adrenaline rushed through Caleb's veins as his Odachi was only ten centimeters away from the neck of the Shelterfator.

'Die bastard!'

However, in life, some things don't always go according to plan. Just at this moment, the shadow on his body, which he failed to take into account had loomed over the beast. Alerting it from Caleb's attack.

It was late though. Before the Shelterfator could even spit out the food it was chewing in its mouth and lash out. The blade of the Odachi went through the neck of the beast.

Due to the momentum accumulated from the fall, his strength, and the weight of his body. He only felt a slight resistance before the blade went through the neck of the beast as if cutting through butter.

The head of the Shelterfator flew two meters in the air. Neatly separated from the neck. Then Caleb's feet planted itself to the ground. He saw blood start to spurt from the beast like a raging fountain until the lifeless body fell to the ground while bathing in a pool of blood.

'Huh? That's it? I succeeded?' Caleb stared at the dead body. His gaze lingered on it for a few seconds, too stunned to speak.

It wasn't the way he imagined the fight would be. He thought he would struggle greatly or even a little and win after suffering injuries. Who knew the fight had ended before it even started?

THUD! THUD!

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet tremble. Then a hand grasped his shoulders.

"See? That's what sufficient preparation does. Although it looks easy. It's because you have the element of surprise and the enemy let its guard down. That's the art of hunting. Preparation."

Caleb turned his head at the source of the voice only to see Jin looking at him with a faint smile on his face. Athena was trailing behind him.

"Congrats on your first kill. But don't be full of yourself. Not all your hunts would have the same outcome." Athena said.

Caleb smiled ear to ear in response. "I know..."